Amidst the celebration at the 65th Primtime Emmy Awards last night (September 22), there were several touching tributes to fallen TV actors that played out during the broadcast. One such segment was dedicated to Glee‘s Cory Monteith, who passed away in July. Castmate Jane Lynch, a past Emmy winner for her portrayal of the series’ conniving coach Sue Sylvester, did the honors.

“This summer, on our show Glee, we suffered a painful death in our family,” said Lynch. “Cory Monteith played Finn Hudson, a star quarterback turned wide-eyed, heartfelt glee singer. And from the first time you saw Cory, he had a star quality and a genuine sweetness that made it impossible not to fall in love with him.”